Meat-slitting machine



J. P. SPANG MEAT-SLITT ING MACHINE Nov. 25, 1941.

Original Filed May 9, 1939 Invenov. h P. S

Uosep bym Patented Nov. 25, 1941 MEAT-SLITTING MACHINE Y Joseph P. Spang, Quincy, Mass., assigner to Cube Steak Machine Company, Inc., Boston, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Original application May 9, v1939, Serial No.

Divided and this 1940, Serial N0. 322,154

2 Claims.

This invention relates to meat-slitting machines of that type comprising a set of rotary slitting knives, together with means for feeding a slice of meat to said knives.

The present invention relates particularly to the stripper mechanism which is employed to hold the meat on the meat support while the knives are slitting the meat and to strip the meat from the knives as it is delivered therefrom.

In order to give an understanding of the invention, I have illustrated in the drawing a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described, after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional View through a meat-slitting machine embodying my invention, the section being taken on substantially the line I-I, Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. 1, with the cover plate shown in section.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing one end of the stripper assembly in plan.

In the drawing, the rotary knives by which the slits are cut in the slice of meat are indicated at I, said knives being mounted on a knife shaft 2 which is journaled in upright portions 3 and 4, with which the frame 5 of the machine is provided. The means for rotating the knives comprises a motor 6 which is housed in the lower portion 'I of the frame and which is connected to the knife shaft by means of a drive belt 8 which runs over a pulley 9 on the motor shaft and another larger pulley I on the knife shaft.

The means for supporting the meat and feeding it to the knives is herein illustrated as an endless belt II which passes around supporting rolls I2 and I3 that are mounted in two side rails I4, I that extend between upright portions 3 and 4 of the frame and are suitably secured together and to the frame.

This endless apron II may be driven in any appropriate way, and I have herein illustrated means by which it may be driven from the knife shaft 2. For this purpose, the knife shaft 2 is provided with a sprocket wheel I6 which engages the upper run of an endless sprocket chain I'I, said chain passing around a sprocket wheel I8 which is rigid with the roll I2 and also around an idler sprocket wheel I9 which is suitably mounted in the frame. With this driving connection between the knife shaft and the apron II, the rotation of the knife shaft clockwise in Fig. 1 will serve to move the upper run of the feed apron from the right toward the left, thus carrying the poured to and rises from the side rail I4.

application March 4-,

meat from right toward the left. A slice 20 of meat placed on the input or righthand end of the feed apron I I will be carried thereby beneath the knives, which will cut slits in the upper face of the meat.

The portion of the apron directly beneath the knives and on which the slice of meat is supported while it is being acted on by the knives is supported by an apron support in the form of a rod 2| which is carried by the two side rails I4, I5, and on which is loosely mounted a sleeve 22. The sleeve 22, which is freely turnableron the rod 2|, thus provides a rolling support for the upper run of the apron II. V

The rod 2| may be mounted eccentrically in the side rails I4, I5, so that a turning of the rod in the rails will adjust the apron toward or from the knives, thereby providing for varying the depth of the slits which the knives make in the meat.

The construction thus far described is similar to that illustrated in my co-pending application, Serial N o. 272,602, filed May 9, 1939, of which this application is a division.

Associated with the knives is a stripper assembly for holding the meat against the apron I| While it is being acted on by the knives and for stripping the slit slice from the knives.

This stripper assembly comprises a plurality of stripper ngers 23 which are preferably more or less resilient and which are carried by a head 24 that is pivotally mounted to provide for swinging the fingers 23 toward or from the apron II. In the illustrated construction, this head 24 which carries the stripper fingers is detachably mounted on a supporting bar 25 which has at each end a trunnion, one trunnion 26 being journaled in the upright 4 and the other trunnion 21 being journaled in a bracket arm 28 which is se- The head 24 carrying the stripper fingers 23 is provided at each end with a hook portion 29 adapted to embrace the supporting bar 25, the construction being such that the head 24 with its stripper fingers can be readily Withdrawn from the supporting bar 25 in case it is desired to remove the stripper from the machine.

The bar 25 has rigid therewith at one end an arm 30 which extends over the knife shaft 2 and to a point on the opposite side thereof from the supporting bar 25. This arm is shown as lying just inside of the upright 4.

The outer end of the arm 30 is formed with a boss 3| which carries a spring-pressed locking pin 32 adapted to engage any one of a number against the inner end of the recess 36, said spring thus urging the locking pin to the right, Fig. 2.

The above construction provides a simple means for adjusting the stripper ngers 23 toward and from the apron H and for locking the.

stripper assembly in any adjusted position.

The particular position intoy whichthe stripper ngers 23 will be adjustedfvvill depend-upon the thickness of the slices of meat that are being slit.

If the slices are relatively thick, the arm 30 will be adjusted to raise the stripper fingers slightly,

While if the slices are relatively thin, said arm will be-adjusted to-lower the stripper ngers.

These-stripper fingers not only apply appropriate pressure against the upper surface ofthe meat- While it is being acted on by the knives, but they also hold the meat. on the apron and prevent it from being lifted oi from the apron by the rapidly rotating knives,

'IIhe driving. mechanism for the knives. and the apron will be such that the peripheral speed of theknives will be greater than the forward feed-v ing movement of the apron l leso that said knives Will actv on the meat withrar dravvA cut.

I claim: 1. A meat-slitting machine comprising a frame having an upright at each end, a set of rotary knives mounted in said upright, means to rotate the knives, means for feeding a slice of meat to the knives, a stripper assembly comprising a head pivotally mounted at one side of the knives, stripper lingers carried by the head and adapted to bear against the slice of meat as it is being acted on by the knives, an arm connected to said head and extending across the knives and by which the head may be turned to adjust the stripper fingers vertically, said arm being situated adjacentone of the uprights, and means providing. ani interlocking engagement between the arm and said'upright for locking the arm in adjusted position.

2. In ameat-slitting machine, a frame having an upright at each end, one of which is provided With-locking apertures, a knife shaft journaled in said-uprights, a set of rotary knives carried by the knife shaft, means to rotate the knife shaft, al stripper assembly comprising a head pivotally mounted in theA frame on the input side .ofthe knives,a plurality ofstripper fingerscarried by the headand extending between the by the arm and adapted to engage in one of theapertures, thereby to lock the' arm in adjustedl position.

JOSEPH'P. SPANG. 

